Too Bad

There comes a time in young people’s lives when they reach a realization. A moment comes when they recognize that they are not invincible and they come to understand that there are consequences for their actions. This idea is brilliantly shown in T. Corgahessan Boyle’s short story “Greasy Lake” through the development of the three boys, especially the narrator who remains unnamed throughout the story. As the three boys go through the episodes of that night on Greasy Lake, they experience truly horrible events. And even though “[they] were bad,” the three boys were utterly unprepared for the physical and emotional turmoil that they went through that night. The boys believe themselves to be bad characters during a time “when it was good to be bad.” As the story of that night on Greasy Lake progress, we see how the boys romanticize being bad and view it as the cool thing to do; however, when a dangerous situation actually confronts these “dangerous characters,” they are not prepared to handle it.
The attitudes of the three boys are made clear in the first few paragraphs of the story. An understanding of how the narrator and his friends view themselves is summed up through witty descriptions and jokes. For instance, the narrator said that Digby “wore a gold star in his right ear.” This piece of jewelry represents Digby’s rebellion towards society since his parents and other authority figures most likely do not want him wearing an earring. Also the witty comment that Digby “allowed his father to pay his tuition at Cornell” shows the boys’ over-inflated egos. Jeff is considering quitting school to live as a “painter/musician/head-shop proprietor.” This life that Jeff is considering is the epitome of what the dangerous characters during the time would do. The narrator respects Digby and Jeff because they were “expert in the social graces.” They could come up with quick and witty sneers, drive cars fast, roll the best joints, dance like it was nobody’s business, wear mirror shades any and everywhere, and “trade ‘man’s with the best of them.” The narrator’s utmost respect for his friends is due to the fact that they represent what it meant, in the boys’ minds, to be cool. Boyle puts it best when he says, “in short, they were bad.”
The night of the incident on Greasy Lake is the third night of summer vacation. The boys have been driving around town all night, been in every club and bar, and created mischief wherever they could. This description seems to fit the ideal way in which the boys want to be seen. But following this description is a striking comment by the narrator, in which he explains that the boys have been “looking for something [they] never found.” Even more interesting is once the boys reach Greasy Lake the narrator says that, “whatever it was we were looking for, we weren’t about to find it at Greasy Lake.” This comment shows that the boys do not even know what they are looking for. They are three young men caught up in the act of being “bad” when they don’t even know what it is they want. Is it possible that the boys really are not as dangerous as they want to come off as? The boys are putting on act because they romanticize the idea of being bad.
The incidents that night give the boys a glimpse of what it means to truly be a dangerous character. While fighting the car freak with the tire iron the narrator explains the background story of his tire iron. He goes on about how he kept a tire iron under the driver’s seat because “bad characters always keep tire irons under the driver’s seat.” He then explains how he has not been in a fight since the sixth grade and how he had only “touched the tire iron twice before, to change tires.” These comments show that the narrator is not really as bad as he believes himself to be. Although in the heat of the moment he does hit the car freak with the tire iron, and soon after the boys attempt to rape the fox, once alone and hiding in the lake the narrator looks back at what has happened and says to himself, “I was nineteen, a mere child, an infant, and here in the space of five minutes I’d struck down one greasy character and blundered into the waterlogged carcass of a second.” This quote is immensely important since it shows how the narrator is not prepared or desirous of the nitty-gritty parts of being a “dangerous character.” All three of them are scared and horrified at what has happened. The narrator is especially shaken since he is the one who found Al’s body in the lake. During the incidents of that night, the boys realize what the consequences of “being bad” are.
An interesting reoccurring quote can sum up the realization and change the boys undergo during the incident. The second paragraph of the story gives a description of Greasy Lake. In it the narrator glorifies how the lake is the place to be for bad and dangerous characters. He explains how people “drink beer, smoke pot, and howl at the stars.” The paragraph ends with the quote “this was nature.” Once dawn comes the narrator gives a description of the aftermath of the scene around him. His shell-shocked tone embraces the fact of how shaken he is by what happened that night. The paragraph ends with a familiar three-word sentence that shows the 180-degree turn the narrator has taken, “this was nature.”


Do you think the boys “party”/”hangout” anymore?

Do you think the narrator ever told Digby and Jeff about the body?

Can't Fix It

A depressing truth is subtly shown in "Teenage Wasteland." One that makes you frown, cringe, and sigh, all at the same time. It's sad because you know it's unpreventable. That bad thing or situation that can't be stopped, fixed, or remedied. You can see it happening before your eyes, but nothing you do can make a difference. Try as hard as you might, in the end your efforts meant nothing. There are some problems that we cannot fix.

But shouldn't that fact that you did everything you could make you feel better? You gave it your best shot, and now you long for that reassurance that since your best efforts couldn't mend the problem that it was impossible to fix. It was simply out of your hands.

No, we can't accept that. We tried our hardest and still failed. That can't be. From a young age we are always taught that "you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it." As we look back at the situation, much as Daisy did with respect to Donny, we try to find where we went wrong. When did the path I took break off from the road towards my goal?

Unfortunately, the road towards the goal is sometimes never there. We've been following a faulty map covered in images of false hope. One that shows the distinct possibility of success, when in reality that route doesn't -- and never did -- exist. It's hard to accept that some things are out of our hands.

Daisy has trouble coming to terms with what happened to Donny. But she tried it all. The relaxed, laid-back parent. The strict, homework-checking, ultra-involved parent. The counselor. The change of schools. But none of it worked. Turning Donny around was just not in the cards.

We believe that failure has a cause, a root that made it come about. Ironically this mindset has an opposing view on good things that occur. Luck happens. You don't always need a reason for something good that happens. But failure, failure doesn't just happen. We inherently feel a need place blame on someone or something, be that ourselves or not.

What it comes down to is that we can't control everything.

"Teenage Wasteland" not only shows the troubles and perils of adolescence but it also shows a pessimistic view on life. It represents the downtrodden idea that we can't make a difference. Not always, at least. Sometimes things go our way, and other times they don't. Not everything is under our control. Knowing this gives life has an aspect of spontaneity that keeps us on our toes.

So maybe hold the phone on the pessimism...this spontaneity is what keeps our lives interesting. Knowing that not everything is in our power, but rather that anything can happen makes life worth living. You have to put up a fight.

The daily gamble of risk vs. reward is constantly played. You can't control everything in your life. So cherish those things you can control; and understand that there are things you can't. Losing a son would be impossible to forget, so Daisy shouldn't. Through a self-metabolizing process, Daisy should turn her guilt and anguish into motivation. Motivation for things that she can control. What she can do is cherish what she still has in her daughter.

So maybe that's the beauty found in "Teenage Wasteland's" seemingly negative over-arching message. Control what you can.

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